Self opening toothpick package



- 'March 1s, 193s.

A. B. HEcKEl.l SELF OPENING TOOTHPICK PACKAGE Filed July 14, 1936 IIMIMINVENTOR.

Patented Mar. lid, i

UNITED STATES PATENT Application July 14,

l Claim.

This invention relates to a toothpick package, and its leading object isto provide a container for a series of toothpicks, which'can be foldedupon itself to protect the toothpicks, and which when opened willsupport the toothpicks in upright display position, to permit of easyremoval of individual toothpicks.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a -holding packagehaving a folded retainer formed with a series of retaining openingsspaced apart 'to receive toothpicks, and so constructed 4 that thetoothpicks are clutched when the pack age is folded, and furtherprovided with means for securing the retainer in closed position.

With the above and other objects in view, thev tion, d designates theblank forming the folding package, and which is shown to include theback 4Wall 6, the cover wall 'l and its bendable coupling tongue t, anda retainer which consists of a section il hinged to the back wall t, andanother section lil, hinged to the outer edge ofthe section d.

The inner section l@ is adapted to swingv into open position, as shownin Fig. l, when the package is opened, so that the outer end edge lilaof this section will engage the inner face of the back wall t, andsupport the companion section t in upright position..

The two hinged sections il and l@ are considerably shorter than the`hack wall, which has a length approximating that of the toothpicks li.

The fold edge or joint it which provides the hinge connection betweenthe sections and lli Fig. 5 is a plan view, showing thepaatckage` i936,serial' No. 90,521

(cl. 20e-29) is formed with a seriesfofI small, pin-like, openings I3,spaced apart from` each other 'equal distances, so that the ends of thetoothpicks can be forced through theseopenings, so that the toothpickswill be retained in spaced relation to each other.

The back wall 6 is formed with a slot I4 to re-l ceive the couplingtongue 8, as shown in Fig. 5. When the package is folded upon itself thesections 9 and Il) of the vfolding retainer will be folded into compactcondition, thus clutching the toothpicks which have portions thereoflocated entirely between the retainer sections. This will tend to holdthe toothpicks in neat parallel relation to each other, so thatindividual toothpicks can be selected by a person and easily withdrawnfrom the package.

Approximately one-half of each toothplck projects from the bend or hingejoint l2, outwardly of the retainer, so that the supply is presented forquick and direct observation, and each toothpick is supported in anuprightg position, completely separated from-the back wall and coverwall, 'so that it can be easily withdrawn. When one toothpick iswithdrawn it will not interfere with the other toothpicks, which willremain in position.

When the coupling tongue is withdrawn from its receiving slot theientirepackage will spring into open position, as shown in Fig. 1, and the twosections of the retainer will act as a self opening easel, to elevatethe toothpicks above the table on which the package is positioned.

The package is protected by a transparent cover or wrapper l5 ofCellophane, or similar mate-- rial.

Instead of the coupling tongue I may employ a pair of snap buttonelements it and I'l, as shown in Fig. 7 to connect thecover wall to theback wall.

In the modified embodiment of the invention, according to the Figures 8and 9, the rst two sections or fields 22, 2li, which are hinged by thefirst scored folding, are rather short, so-that they cover only thepointed ends of the toothpicks Q23, which are inserted into theperforations it, provided in that iirst scored folding. The secondsection or eld, im, is connected to the third rather long section orfield, iii, by the means of a somewhat :more rounded second folding, asthis is shown at the lowermost ends of the Figures 8 and 9; and thesection or field id is followed, 'after another rounded scoring `orfolding, by the section or field lil, which is partly broken away inFigure 8, whereas i?" ti.. f" Figure 9 this field. it is not shown atall, t less the lower halves of the ileld Il and oi the toothpicks 23are shown. The held nis further provided.` close to its` side edges,with two slight protrusions or tongues 2l, to hold the4 end of thesection or neld Il, when the whole package is closed. Various changes inthe construction, detalls and arrangements of parts, may be resorted to,within the scope of the claim, which dennes the invention hereindisclosed.

Having described my invention I claim:-

Package or envelop for toothpicks and the like, made of a longrectangular blank oi' cardboard or the like, which is transverselyscored, folded and perforated in such-manner, as to have in consecutiveorder two smallerl sections or ilelds of equal length, separated by onescored folding containing a row o! perforations, and followed by twoequally long largersections or fields,y formed by two other foldings,which are scored to be bent to the same side as4 the iirst one andperforated folding. the dimensions and arrangement yot the diiierentsections ox'` nelds and of the different scored toldings being such,that in the opened or unfolded package the first two sections or ileldswill form a wedgelike pyramid, standing on the next section or neld, andholding between them in vertical position. closest to the user, thetoothpicks or the like inserted into the perforations in the top edge ofthat pyramid, whereas in the closed package the toothpicks or the likeare completely covered by the first two shorter and the subsequent twolonger sections or fields of the package.

ANTON B. .HECKEL

